STD Rates Decline in Pandemic, But UCSD Experts Say They May Be Unreported

 Data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic suggests reported cases of sexually transmitted diseases have declined, but experts at UC San Diego’s AntiViral research facility Monday said rates could soon get on the increase again.


“While stay-at-home orders and social distancing mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic have decreased sexual encounters during which STDs may spread, they need also reduced the supply and use of sexual health services,” said Dr. Susan Little, an communicable disease specialist at UCSD Health.

STDs, also referred to as sexually transmitted infections or STIs, are viral or bacterial infections, not necessarily chronic diseases. consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are around 20 million new cases of STIs within us annually.

To combat resurgent STI rates, the great to travel clinic through UCSD School of drugs will launch the Facts Over Fear campaign — a series of weekly, community-based virtual events to teach the general public on the landscape of STIs and HIV in San Diego, and why sexual health matters quite ever before — for STD Awareness Month starting Thursday.

Nationally, in April 2020, reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and early syphilis decreased by 47%, 33%, and 30% respectively from the year prior.

While decreases in rates of reported infections are usually a positive development, there's a serious concern from doctors that sexually transmitted infections are now going largely undetected thanks to decreased testing. the shortage of testing and diagnoses could spell out another public health crisis.

“Due to barriers created by the pandemic and a severe stigma around STI and HIV testing, fewer people are becoming tested and treated for these illnesses. Now that San Diego is within the red tier, community members must size up of their sexual health,” said Dr. Gabriel Wagner, an communicable disease specialist at UCSD Health.

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As stay-at-home orders decreased in early June 2020, in some instances, positive cases of diseases returned to or maybe exceeded 2019 levels.

“Over the last decade, we’ve seen consistent increases in STIs within us, in California, and in San Diego,” Wagner told City News Service. “It’s likely such a sudden drop is said to lack of testing. I think we'll see an outsized spike in infections as things still open up.”

San Diego’s highest-risk populations for HIV are Latino, Black, Gen Z, and persons assigned male at birth having sex with other persons assigned male at birth. Wagner said a big thing about these communities experiencing higher STI rates is systemic barriers like cost and access to health care. Behavioral choices, social stigma and lack of a strong sex education all play contributing roles.

Although the amount of newly diagnosed HIV cases has dropped, the amount of individuals living with HIV continues to extend. At the top of 2018, 13,876 people were living with diagnosed HIV in San Diego County, while an estimated 1,364 people were living with undiagnosed HIV infection.

While there's no cure for HIV, antiretroviral therapy can suppress the virus, making it undetectable. National HIV/AIDS strategy 2020 features a viral suppression goal of 80% and San Diego is at 74% overall with the share fluctuating per demographic, sexual orientation, and identity. The county’s lowest viral suppression rates are among the Black and transgender communities.

“What I’d wish to see is for us to start out normalizing talking about sexual health,” Wagner said. “And mention it more directly and honestly.”

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